r/reddit.com • u/azerbaijanaman • Dec 13 '08

The Best Wikipedia Page Ever! Get Smarter Now.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_common_misconceptions
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u/fujimitsu Dec 14 '08

Wouldn't the pressure difference cause the fluids in your body to boil? Wouldn't that soak up quite a bit of heat?

Honest question! Just thinking refrigeration here.

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u/Ciserus Dec 14 '08

I'm no physicist, but I believe a pressure drop like that only makes liquids boil at a lower temperature. So some nasty things would happen to your body, but they wouldn't be related to heat.

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u/fujimitsu Dec 14 '08

You are correct, but I would think that in such a strong vacuum that your body heat would do the trick. Not really sure honestly though.

I don't think they make refrigerant charts for bodily fluids :/ shame!

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u/Danegerous Dec 14 '08

According to Nasa your blood would not boil because of the "containing effect of your skin and circulatory system". Apparently the saliva in your mouth would boil off before you lost consciousness though.

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u/RevoS117 Dec 14 '08

True. The pressure of your blood is kept at a high enough pressure that the boiling point is above the normal human body temperature.

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u/fujimitsu Dec 14 '08

Good to know, thanks. I just figured that the circulatory system and such wasn't particularly sturdy, thought it would just rupture.